1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piston for an internal combustion engine, having a first piston component and a second piston component, which jointly form a circumferential cooling channel that is open toward the second piston component, which channel is closed off by means of a circumferential closure element.
2. The Prior Art
Pistons of this type, having a circumferential cooling channel, are known. A fundamental problem consists in optimizing the cooling effect of the coolant that circulates in the cooling channel. For this purpose, it is necessary to transport the coolant, in targeted manner, to the regions of the piston that are exposed to particularly high temperatures during engine operation. This particularly relates to those regions of the cooling channel that lie below the piston crown, since the latter is exposed to the full ignition temperature during operation, so that a significant amount of heat has to be carried away.